The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-07

n
/ iollo we'd the stranger out on the
street.
'Tell me something OF that man
you spoke to-" / said. IL have been
in his employ for months, and can't
learn anything about him."
"He was d grain operator in Chica-
20. They said that he had made
money there, and knew enough to
quit with it. That's all | know OF
him"
Hasn't he had some troubleY'
"Some family difficulty, | believe.
His wife died, If ] remember right. But
i can't recall anything OF It,"
When business did not occupy him.
and often on our journeys he was ha-
bitually plunged into the depths OF alb
sorbing thought. At such times his
face would assume sombre cast, and
an expression OF the deepest melan-
choly would overspread 1t But ms
reflections were kept to himself. lie
gave me no confidence outside OF bust
ness affairs, n which was implicitly
trusted.
The end OF employment was
reached through a curious adventure
which must be told in detail.
We we're in half-hedged town IN
Missouri. II is a great city now. Inc
railroads had then just commenced
to reach out for it, and its boom
was but mildly started. Everything
was in a kind OF chaos. There were
unpraded and muddy streets, with
brick and plank sidewalks, and no
sidewalks at all; there were promiscu-
Gus stocks OF goods from st. Louis
tumbled in retail stores together to
meet the pressing demands OF the In,
creasing population. hardware ana
calico being sold over the same count
or; and there we're two or three great
canvasaries OF hotels, we'll dressed gen.
tlemen struggled with red-shlrted, long
lbooted sons of the border for o
seat at the table. And there
was a travelling theatrical company
Bin town. Great oolored pictorial bills
announced that the play OF "lngomar,
the Barbarian" would be presented
that night, with the great London
trapedian, Mr.. Templemore in the
title role, while the beautiful ana ac
complished Miss Gertrude Devereaux
would assume the part of Parthenia.
That night Mr.. Rawlinson, contrary
to all my experience OF him, was rest
less and uneasy. II l was supersti'
tions, / would say with him, "oom.,
ling events cast their shadows before. y
Supposing that he wished my COM
panv no more than he ever had at
| the close OF the day, was about TO
withdraw from the hotel, when ne
asked me, with chasteristic abrupt
ness, Where are you goingY"
MERELY to walk about town.
"Pll go with you"
As we went along the streets he
made an effort to talk, but l could
see that 1t was only his uneasy frame
OF mind breaking through his usual
abstraction. We passed o crowd ID
front OF great board building, where
flaring colored lights illuminated the
posters OF "Ingomar."
"What's this?" he asked.
IA play" l replied.
"Theater?-yes,I used to 20 often.
l havn't seen a play Tor many years.
Let's 90 up"
you'll hardly see anything in there
to please you," demurred.
mo matter / feel like most any
thing for diversion"
We paid our 25 cents respectively,
and assembled the dirty stairs.
We entered hall furnished with
wooden benches, where ooo
people, seven-eighth OF them
men. we're seated on the same level,
smoking, talking and chatting the
performers. On q scantily FURNISHED
stage a loud-mouth, brawling lingo
mar was holding forth to the captive
Mvron and the outlaws about him.
Mr.. Rawlinson and l obtained seats
with some difficulty. He glanced at
the stage and the audience, and then
became absorbed in his thoughts
Not anticipating the slightest pleas,
ure from the performance, Icontinued
to look idly at Ingomar, and was not
long in detecting in his voice that
peculiar horseness that results IRON
indulgence in spirits.
Presently Parthenia appeared
To the crowd around us all acting
was the same; and ] certainly wal
not impressed with the lady's power
as an actress. Her lines were
delivered coldly and correctly
There was not the slightes feeling
manifested in any thing she uttered
But she had one quality that impress
ed me at once; she had the true stag
presence. She was tall and shapely
though rather thin, and neither pain
nor powder could hide the fact tina
she was still beautiful. The rude au
dience we're impressed just as l was
and respectfully refrained from any
"guyine" OF the lady.